Mid-stage Pokemon like Slowpoke rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Slowbro, which is where the real potential kicks in. Known as the Dopey Pokemon. Can go either physical or special depending on the set.
HP and Attack carry most of Slowpoke's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 HP EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
It is incredibly slow and dopey. It takes five seconds for it to feel pain when under attack.
It is always vacantly lost in thought, but no one knows what it is thinking about. It is good at fishing with its tail.
Slowpoke Weakness
VulnerableSlowpoke's Water/Psychic typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Grass, Bug, Ghost, and Dark moves. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Slowpoke's physical bulk (base 65 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
From here, Slowpoke's line branches into Slowbro and Slowking. That's 2 possible evolutions, each with its own method. The evolved forms gain up to 175 total stats over Slowpoke.
How to Evolve
Galar
GalarBreed Slowpoke easily with 81 breeding partners from the Monster and Water1 egg groups.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Slowpoke with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. A spread EV build EVs and Modest nature maximize that, and Regenerator handles the rest. Slack Off patches up chip damage.
Best Build
Best Slowpoke Moveset
- Psychic
- Slack Off
- Yawn
- Chilling Water
Recommended Teammates
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Slowpoke. TMs unlock coverage across 7 types and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Hydro Pump and Surf into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Slowpoke. TMs unlock Normal and Ice coverage and more and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Hydro Pump and Dream Eater into something with actual range.
The natural movepool does the job, but Belch and Belly Drum from the egg pool give Slowpoke something extra. Pair those with Future Sight and Dream Eater for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
The natural movepool does the job, but Belch and Belly Drum from the egg pool give Slowpoke something extra. Pair those with Future Sight and Hydro Pump for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
high spawn rates across 24 locations for Slowpoke in mid-game routes. Scroll the sorted list below and pick whichever spot sits closest to your current route. The rate differences between locations are worth comparing.
Best Locations
Slowpoke appears in 24 walking locations at Lv. 23-56 across Scarlet and Violet. Not all encounters show up in every version, so check which ones match your game.
Slowpoke doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Red, Yellow, or LeafGreen to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Slowpoke starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 9 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations
Walking and special encounters at Lv. 11-63 across 9 spots for Slowpoke. Sorted by progression so you can see what's reachable at your current point in the game.
high spawn rates in early-game routes across 2 locations. Slowpoke's one of the easier catches on the list. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.
Best Locations
Slowpoke is meant to evolve into Slowbro. At 315 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Watch for Raikou (Electric), Venusaur (Grass), and Pinsir (Bug) when using Slowpoke. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 15 Speed, Slowpoke won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Slowpoke can evolve into Slowbro, Slowking, Galarian Slowbro, and Galarian Slowking depending on the method. Slowpoke is the base form in a 5-stage evolutionary line.
Regenerator is what you want on Slowpoke. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Oblivious, Own Tempo) work on paper but Regenerator is what makes Slowpoke worth using.
Base 15 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Slowpoke is a special attacker with base 40 Sp. Atk.
Slowpoke appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Slowpoke has appeared in 21 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Galarian form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwShGalarian
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A